SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. — Northwest Arkansas is enjoying a healthy economy, but that growth isn’t limited to the Interstate 49 corridor; it also includes the town of Siloam Springs...

The population has grown from around 11,000 in 2000 to more than 16,000 people now. Patterson attributes this to the quality of life Siloam offers, calling the town an “undiscovered gem, to some degree.”